Steve Fernlund and The Long Way Home

Steve Fernlund, who writes the weekly column "The Long Way Home" for the North Shore Journal, has a writing style that is personal and anecdotal. He often shares stories from his own life, from his time as a freight broker to his experiences in retirement. He uses these personal stories to explore broader themes. Fernlund's columns read like a conversation with the reader. He is self-deprecating and often reflects on his own opinions and experiences, sometimes even admitting he might be wrong about a topic.  He is not afraid to take a stand on various issues, from government and politics to social issues. He has stated that his goal is to write what he believes to be true. While he may touch on larger national topics, his writing is grounded in his experiences in Cook County and the North Shore area. He writes about the "everyday lives of local people and issues of importance to them."

I woke up the other day and remembered that I am an old man. Not because I’m out yelling at squirrels and pigeons to get off my lawn, which I do to scare them away so I can take the dog out safely. It’s because I wake up with a unique perspective on the turmoil of the day, gained from living through a period of significant social and political turbulence, the 60s and 70s. Riots and political violence, along with a healthy fear of Soviet communism, seemed like a regular part of life.  Coming of age then didn’t include a sense of despair, so much as a sense of urgency. Urgency to get on with life, because we could be vaporized in an instant if Kruschev pressed a button. Memories of those days, and our struggles to get past them, bubbled up when some political organizer named Charlie Kirk was gunned down in front of a couple of thousand college kids with cell phone cameras. I didn’t know much about this latest victim of a public shooting. I guess he was opposite John Fugelsang (whoeve...

They should do something about that.  The plural pronoun “they” was overused on social media by Charlie Kirk fans last week. Kirk was a highly successful political and media influencer for young people with a conservative bent. While speaking and debating students at a university in Utah, he was gunned down. The indefinite pronoun “someone” was overused by those stunned by the school shooting in Colorado the same day.  The word “they” refers to more than one person or thing, although it may be used as a singular pronoun when referring to a person whose gender is unknown or to a single person who identifies with the pronoun "they." “Someone” refers to a person without specifying who they are.  My grammar checking software regularly catches me, and calls me sloppy, for using those pronouns that aren’t clearly identified in preceding writing. So now it’s one of the front-of-mind peeves when I read things written by someone else. Damned AI has taken me to church.  Follow...

  While raising four people from puppyhood to adulthood, the Bohunk and I always had dogs and even a few cats around the house. We considered our pets family members. We still have a few animals in the family, and the similarities to having kids at home are worth noting. Our three pets, the dogs Gypsy and Fiona, and the cat Winthrop, require our attention and care, of course. Feeding and grooming, as well as their emotional needs, including walks outside and companionship. These exchanges become a fundamental aspect of life that feels strikingly similar to the parent-child relationship. Winthrop, almost 10 years old now, is an indoor-only cat. He was a stray kitten that the Bohunk found one morning while walking one of the dogs when we lived in Illinois. He was about the size of a teacup but meowed loud enough to be heard. “A kitty followed me home,” the Bohunk announced when she came in the house that day. She had found (heard) him meowing near a house that bordered a cornfield, a...

Admitting that I once believed I had all the knowledge I needed, I've come to realize that learning is a lifelong journey. For those who may have questioned my wisdom, you were right.  As a self-proclaimed freelance writer, I created a Substack account a couple of years ago. Substack is an online platform that allows writers and content creators to publish and monetize their work. Social media with a more focused purpose. It's primarily known for its email newsletter service. You can find me there as @thelongwayhome1. Try the free email newsletter. Like all things related to the numerous social media sites out there, I’ve struggled to figure it out and establish a presence. Tech isn't my strong suit, nor is self-promotion—a common theme needed to succeed in online services. Now that the Bohunk and I have managed to downsize (see Swedish Death Cleaning) and settled into our urban lifestyle, I’ve restarted my Substack account. I've already spent too much time reading othe...